Utah’s Logan J. Blackman or the rise of a music conducting professional: What first inspired you to pursue music? Logan J. Blackman : Believe it or not, Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man’s Chest. The summer it came out, I was captivated by the famous scene where he played his theme at the organ. I had a very basic knowledge of music, and we had some keyboards around. So I started playing around and eventually figured the piece out by ear. That led me to wanting to take organ lessons, which eventually led to a great love of music and a career that would keep going nearly two decades later! Read more information on Logan Blackman.
Doors for the UK Symphony Orchestra concert open 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, with music beginning at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for students, and free for UK students with a valid ID before the day of the performance (only purchase in person at the Singletary Center ticket office). A processing fee will be applied to tickets upon completion of transaction. Tickets are available through the Singletary Center ticket office online at www.scfatickets.com, by phone at 859-257-4929, or in person at the venue.
The second half of the program offered much lighter fare and focused on Bernstein’s compositions for theater, stage, and film which involved collaboration with with several lyricists, the two most notable being Stephen Sondheim and Stephen Schwartz. After Intermission, clarinetist Scott Wright, the UK Jazz Ensemble and conductor Miles Osland took to the stage with Bernstein’s Prelude (for the brass), Fugue (for the saxes), and Riffs (for everyone). The Prelude was a jazzy, cool, and rhythmic exposition for the brass, drums, and bass. The mellow saxes teased each other unmercifully in the Fugue but were provided full support, be it point or counterpoint, in their individual and collective fugal moments. The Riffs ensued when Scott Wright (Professor of Clarinet at UK) took the lead with the big band sound as he masterfully interacted with everyone, fully engulfing the call-response format near the end that garnered the well-deserved acknowledgement he received from the ensemble and audience alike. I felt as if I had just been to church while heeding the call of the wild.
The critically acclaimed University of Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro John Nardolillo, will perform next with concerto competition winner, Michael Robinson, a junior at UK School of Music. The concert will include music by celebrated composers Carl Nielson and Gustav Mahler, as well as a premiere of work by UK junior Logan Blackman. The concert will begin 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 17, at the Singletary Center for the Arts. Read additional info on Logan J. Blackman.
I have been a musician for over 14 years. I have conducted several professional, amateur, and student orchestras and bands. I’ve been a freelance organist, pianist, and arranger for over 14 years. I attended the University of Kentucky and received a bachelors in bassoon performance, as well as a masters in conducting. I also completed one year of work on my doctorate in orchestral conducting at the University of Utah. I currently am diving into the rental property business, and real estate investing.